News

Mar 07, 2018

SENATE ADOPTS AMENDMENT RECOGNIZING THAT RACIAL PROFILING IS REAL

RICHMOND -- This afternoon, for the first time in recent memory, an amendment addressing racial profiling was attached to an improper driving bill. Senator Chap Petersen's (D-Fairfax City) amendment to HB 181 requires law enforcement to track and report demographic data for those pulled over.

Said Senator Petersen, "The time is now to address the issue of racial profiling. Tracking demographic data will hold our public safety officers accountable. The amendment does not fix the problem of racial profiling, but it is a first step in the right direction."

Said Senate Democratic Caucus Chair MamieLocke (D-Hampton), "This is the first time we’ve ever been on record monitoring racial profiling. The data that will be compiled under this bill will open a new world of opportunity with regards to generating policy proposals and ideas to make sure law enforcement is not unfairly targeting a certain segment of the population, and all communities are going to be safer for it."